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JAY LENO AND JIMMY FALLON DELIVER BIGGER AUDIENCES THAN THEIR ABC AND CBS TIME-PERIOD COMPETITION IN 18-49 AND TOTAL VIEWERS

SEASON TO DATE, JAY HAS STRETCHED HIS TOTAL-VIEWER LEAD OVER ‘LATE SHOW’ TO 23 PERCENT FROM THE YEAR-AGO 14 PERCENT; JIMMY FALLON HAS INCREASED HIS MARGIN OVER ‘LATE LATE SHOW’ TO 22 PERCENT, UP FROM LAST YEAR’S 6 PERCENT

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – September 7, 2012 – NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” have out-delivered the ABC and CBS time-period competition for the week of August 27-31 in viewers 18-49 and total viewers, during a disrupted week that saw Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday NBC and CBS telecasts excluded due to overrun coverage of the Republican National Convention.

“Tonight” generated bigger audiences than CBS’s “Late Show with David Letterman” and ABC’s combination of “Nightline” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live” head to head for the hour in adults 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers and Jay topped “Late Show” during the disrupted week in every key ratings category: adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers. Note that Friday’s “Late Show” was an encore.

At 12:35 a.m. ET, Jimmy Fallon also prevailed in every key category versus CBS’s “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” during the disrupted week.

Through the first 50 weeks of the 2011-12 broadcast year, “Tonight” has increased its total-viewer margin over “Late Show” to 23 percent (3.663 million vs. 2.989 million), up from the year-ago season-to-date advantage of 14 percent, while stretching its 25-54 advantage to 11 percent (1.400 million vs. 1.263 million) from last year’s 8 percent and its 18-34 lead to 25 percent (345,000 vs. 276,000) from last year’s 23 percent.

Jimmy Fallon has established a total-viewer lead over “Late Late Show” this season of 22 percent (1.747 million vs. 1.436 million), up from last year’s advantage of 6 percent. Jimmy has also increased his season-to-date lead over “Late Late Show” in adults 18-49 to 24 percent (703,000 vs. 569,000), up from last year’s 21 percent; in adults 18-34 to 53 percent (273,000 vs. 178,000), up from last year’s 30 percent; and in adults 25-54 to 17 percent (841,000 vs. 719,000), up from 8 percent at this point last season.

“Tonight” delivered a bigger 18-49 audience than “Late Show” for the 31si time in their last 35 head-to-head weeks (excludes weeks of Olympic preemptions) and 13th week in a row, while Jimmy Fallon has attracted a bigger 18-49 audience than “Late Late Show” for each of their last 38 head-to-head weeks.

WEEKLY AVERAGES

(According to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research for the week of August 27-31. Ratings reflect “live plus same day” data from Nielsen Media Research unless otherwise noted. Season-to-date figures are averages of “live plus seven day” data except for the two most recent weeks, which are “live plus same day.”)

ADULTS 18-49

11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. ET

NBC “Tonight,” 0.7 rating, 3 share*

CBS “Late Show,” 0.6/2*

11:35 p.m.-12 midnight ET

ABC “Nightline,” 0.7/3

12 midnight-1 a.m. ET

ABC “Kimmel,” 0.4/2 (in encore telecast)*

12:35-1:35 a.m. ET

NBC “Late Night,” 0.4/2*

CBS “Late Late Show,” 0.3/2*

1:35-2:05 a.m. ET

NBC “Last Call,” 0.2/2 (in encore telecasts)*

TOTAL VIEWERS

11:35 p.m.-12:35 a.m. ET

NBC “Tonight,” 3.3 million viewers*

CBS “Late Show,” 2.2 million viewers*

11:35 p.m.-12 midnight ET

ABC “Nightline,” 2.9 million viewers

12 midnight-1 a.m. ET

ABC “Kimmel,” 1.3 million viewers (in encore telecasts)*

12:35-1:35 a.m. ET

NBC “Late Night,” 1.5 million viewers*

CBS “Late Late Show,” 1.1 million viewers*

1:35-2:05 a.m. ET

NBC “Last Call,” 0.7 million viewers (in encore telecasts)*

* Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday telecasts on NBC and CBS were delayed by convention coverage and are excluded, and Friday’s “Kimmel” is also excluded. Friday’s “Late Show” was an encore.